Aggregate separating unit



y 9, 1961 L. G. HILKEMEIER AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 12, 1958 INVENTOR.

y 9, 1961 L. G. HILKEMEIER 2,983,378

AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT Filed Dec. 12, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOUISG-.H|LKEMEIER IN VEN TOR BYMW'M y 1961 G. HILKEMEIER 2,983,378

AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT Filed Dec. 12, 1958 l I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 LQUISG. HILKEMEIER INVENTOR.

BY MM United States Patent AGGREGATE SEPARATING UNIT Louis G.Hilkemeier, Plainfield, N.J., assignor to Worthington Corporation,Harrison, N.J., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 12, 1958, Ser. No.780,142

4 Claims. (Cl. 209-270) The present invention relates to awashing andseparating machine of the type in which mixed matenals are charged intoa rotatable drum and separated in said' where this flow is too rapid, itis likely to result in in- 4 complete washing and separation ofthematerials.

It is accordingly one of the objects ofthe present invention to providea washing and separating machine in which flow through the drum iscontinuous, but at a rate consistent with the demands for adequate andcomplete washing of the materials being processed.

This is accomplished in the washing and separating machine of thepresent invention by providing two axially adjacent spiral bladesmounted along the drum interior wall, each of which is adapted to movematerial through the drum during drum rotation, and between which thereis a novel scoop member which transfers .material from one blade to theother once during each revolution of the drum. Thus, the spiral bladesprovide continuous flow through the drum and at the same time the novelscoop member connecting the said spiral blades regulates the rate ofthis continuous flow in accordance with the demands for adequate andcomplete washing of the materials.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a washing andseparating machine which is adapted to receive a relatively large amountof material in a single charging-operation.

This advantageous large charging capacity of the drum of the presentinvention is due in part to the controlled rate of drum flow previouslymentioned, and also the provision of two chambers within the drum, oneof which is a relatively large washing chamber into which a largequantity of material to be processed can be charged.

A further object of the present invention is to achieve a more thoroughwashing of the materials being processed by providing for interaction ofthe said materials with washing fluid not only in the drum washingchamber but also during movement therefrom through the drum to the pointof discharge.

ice

Figure 4 is a perspective view from inside the washing chamber showingthe novel scoop member in its discharging position.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the novel scoop member taken along line55 of Figure 4.

In Figure 1 the washing and separating machine of the present inventionis shown to consist of a rotatable drum 1 inclined to the horizontalplane. As best seen in Figure 2, the drum 1 is mounted on a frame 2having spaced pairs of rollers 3 in contact with circumferentiallymounted tires 4 and 4a, located on the medial and upper portions of thedrum respectively, and which permits unrestricted rotation of the saiddrum. A pair of spaced thrust rollers 30 bear against a side of tire 4to prevent endwise slippage, while an arcuate frame 5 ex tended overtire 4a holds the said drum at the angle of inclination shown. Drum 1 isrotated by a chain 6 connected to a motor (not shown) and engaging acircumferentially mounted gear ring 6a.

The low end 7 of the drum 1 is the end into which materials to beprocessed are initially charged, whereas the high end 8 of the drum 1 isthe end from which the charged material when separated is discharged. Asis clearly shown in Figure l, the charging end 7 of drum 1 is formed ofa relatively large cylindrical element 9 whereas the discharging end 8of the said drum is formed of a smaller cylindrical element 10.

Washing fluid, such as water, is delivered into the high end of the drumthrough a conduit '11 suitably mounted on a discharge chute 12 in turnsupported on the end of the frame 2.

elements 10 and 9 define the axially adjacent chambers 13 and 14, ofwhich chamber 13 is a relatively small discharge chamber and chamber 14is a larger washing chamber. Disposed along the drum interior wall,within each of these said chambers, are spiralled blades 15 and 16. In amanner well known to the art, each of these spiralled blades is adaptedto move material up the drum incline upon rotation of the drum in thedirection indicated. As is seen in Figures 3, ,4 and 5, connectedbetween the inner adjacent ends 17 and 18 of the said blades, is asubstantially J-shaped scoop member 19. More particularly, this J-shapedmember 19 has a semicular trough 20 nearest the discharge chamber 13 andan upstanding rim 21 nearest the washing chamber 14, which trough andrim form a scoop enabling-the member 19 to transfer material fromspiralled blade 16 in the washing chamber 14 to the spiralled blade 15in the discharge chamber 13 once every rotation of the drum 1.

The pitch of the spiralled blade 16 is arranged to move material in thewashing chamber 14 toward the transition wall 31. The spiralled blade 17is adapted to advance material up the discharge chamber 13.

As can be seen in Figure 2 of the present invention, it

' separates the washing chamber 14 from the discharge The invention willbe better understood when con-m chamber 13 by means of the abrupttransition in drum size from the washing chamber 14 to the dischargechamthe direction of drum rotation from the vertical in order to spraywashing fluid on the material as the material is tumbling away from thewall of the drum. In addition, the material being moved by the spiralledblade 15 th'rough'the discharge chamber 13 is also subjected to thescrubbing action of washing fluid flowing by gravity 33 over the saidspiralled blade 15 and down into the washing chamber '14.

The effectiveness of the showering action in the discharge chamber 13depends upon a relatively uniform advancement of materialthrough thedischarge-chamber 13; Accordingly, it is critical to meter the aggregatefrom the washing chamber 14 into the dischargechamber 13. As seen inFigures 3 and 4 as the drum rotates, the fixed novel scoop member 19scoops material over the steep transition incline 31 from the washingchamber 14 into the discharge chamber 13. Thus the rate of advancementof material through the discharge chamber 13 instead of depending solelyupon the rate of charging the machine is also governed by the scoopingof aggregate from the washing chamber 14. As 'can be seen in Figures 3and 4 the trough 20 of the novel scoop member 19 has a relatively flatvertical slope along its length to compensate for the steep inclinationof the transition wall 31.

Within the washing chamber 14 it is possible for the washing fluid toreach the-level designated A. Thus, within the washing chamber 14 thereis always a quantity of washing fluid to mix with the materials beingtumbled therein by the spiralled blade 16. As a result, that portion ofthe materials being processed which is of the lowest specific gravity iscarried out of the drum 1 by washing fluid overflowing over the spillwayexit 32 in the end wall 24 of the cylindrical element 9.

A discharge aperture or opening 25 is provided in the end of thecylindrical element 10, and downwardly spaced therefrom is a screeneddrum section 26. Thus, as the materials are moved by 'the spiralledblade 15 up the drum incline and through the discharge chamber 13, thatportion of the materials being processed which is of intermediateparticle size is screened out through the said screened section 26;while the remaining'portion which is of largest particle size isdischarged through the discharge aperture 25; I

Operation In operation, the drum 1 is rotated and washing fluid iscontinuously delivered therein through the spray nozzles 22. to flow bygravity into the drum Washing chamber '14 wherein it is maintained atthe level designated A. At this time, a relatively large quantity ofmixed materials to be processed, such as concrete, is charged into thelarger drum washing chamber 14 through the aperture 23. Unlike prior artdevices, this is possible in the present invention because thepreviously mentioned member 19. will meter the rate of flow of concretefrom the washing chamber 14 so that adequate washing and separationthereof can occur before it moves into the discharge chamber 13. Inchamber 14 the concrete is tumbled by the action of spiralled blade 16to cause separation therefrom of the cement portion, which portion iscarried out of the washing chamber 14 by the washing fiuid overflowingthrough aperture 23. The remaining aggregate portion of the concrete ismoved up the drum incline by the spiralled blade 16 to the transfer orscoop member 19.

The operation of member 19 is such that a metered amount of theremaining concrete aggregate is trans-' ferred from the spiralled blade16 in the washing chamber 14 to the spiralled blade 15 in the dischargechamber 13 once every revolution of the drum 1. This transferredconcrete aggregate is then moved up the drum incline through thedischarge chamber 13 by the spiralled blade 15, the finer particlesthereof discharging through the screened section 26 and the coarserparticles thereof through the discharge aperture 25. Any cement stillclinging to these aggregate particles will be washed therefrom andcarried by the downflowing washing fluid into the washing chamber 14 Itwill be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thespecific construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they maybe widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An aggregate washing machine comprising an inclined rotatable drum, alower and an upper communicating axially adjacent chamber formed withinsaid drum, said lower chamber having a larger diameter than said upperchamber, a lower spiralled blade in said lower chamber, anu er spiralledblade in*said"upper chamber, each of said blades disposed along theinterior wall of said drum and adapted to move material up the drumincline during rotation of the drum, means for delivering material tosaid lower chamber, said lower chamber adapted to be charged withrelatively large amounts of material to be washed, meter means connectedbetween the inner adjacent ends of said blades for transferring andmetering the transfer of material from said lower blade to said upperblade so that a relatively uniform supply of material is delivered tosaid upper blade, spray means for showering washing fluid on to thematerial in said upper chamber, said upper spiralled b lade sufficientlyshallow to allow washing fluid to freely flow by gravity down the drumincline to said larger diameter lower chamber, washing fluid forming abath for mate rial in said lower chamben'means for removing materialfrom said upper chamber.

2. An aggregate washing and separating machine comprising an inclinedrotatable drum, a lower and an upper axially adjacent cylindricalchamber formed within said drum, said lower chamber having anappreciably larger diameter than said upper chamber, said drum'defininga charging aperture which communicates with said lower chamber forcharging materials to be washed and separated into said lower chamber,said lower chamber adapted to be charged with relatively large amountsof material, a lower spiralled blade in said lower chamber, an upperspiralled blade in said upper chamberfeach of said blades disposed alongthe inner wall of said drum and adapted to move material up the drumincline during rotation of the drum, meter means connected to said drumfor transferring and metering the transfer of material -from said lowerblade to said upper blade so that a relatively uniform supply ofmaterial is delivered to said upper blade, spray means for showeringwashing fluid on to the material in said upper chamber, said'up'perispiralled blade sufliciently shallow to allow washing fluid to flowfreely by gravity down the drum incline to said lower chamber, thewashing fluid providing a bath for material in said lower chamber andflowing out'said charging aperture to remove matter suspended in saidwashing fluid from said drum, said drum defining 'a' screened wallsection in said upper chamber so that fine washed material may beremoved through the openings of said screen, said drum defining anaperturecommunicating with said upper chamber for discharging coarsewashed material therefrom.

'3. An aggregate washing and separating machine comprising an inclinedrotatable drum, a lower and anupper axially adjacent cylindrical chamberformed within said drum, said lower chamber having an appreciably largerdiameter than said upper chamber, said'fdrumdefining a conicaltransition section connecting said lower chamber and said upper chamber,said drumdefining an aperture which communicates with said lowerchamber, said lower chamber adapted to be charged with relatively largeamounts of material, a lower spiralled'blade in said lower chamber, anupper spiralled blade in said upper chamber, each of said bladesdisposed along the cylindrical interior Wall of said drum and adapted tomove material up the drum incline during rotation of the drum, a scoopmember connected to said drum and disposed to extend from said uppercylindrical chamber through said conical transition section and intosaid low er cylindrical chamber whereby: a relatively uniformfsu'pply ofma-te'rial'is scooped from said lower chamber and is "delivered to saidupper blade by the revolution of said drum, spray means including atleast one nozzle for showering washing fluid on to the material in saidupper chamber, said upper spiralled blade sufficiently shallow to allowwashing fluid to flow freely by gravity down the drum incline to thelarger diameter lower chamber, the washing fluid providing a bath formaterial in said lower chamber, and flowing out said charging apertureto remove matter suspended in the washing fluid from said drum, saiddrum defining a screened wall section in said upper chamber in thevicinity of said nozzles so that fine washed material may be removedthrough the openings in said screened wall section under the influenceof sprayed washing fluid, said drum defining an aperture communicatingwith said upper chamber remote from said lower chamber for dischargingcoarse washed material therefrom.

4. The aggregate washing and separating machine as claimed in claim 3wherein said scoop member is substantially J-shaped and disposed withthe upstanding leg thereof nearer said lower chamber and connected be-'tween the inner adjacent ends of said lower and upper spiralled blades.

References Cited in the file of thispatent UNITED STATES PATENTS EversonSept. 6, 1904 Major Oct. 18, 1910 Mercer Nov. 25, 1913 Bartley Sept. 25,1917 McMahamen Oct. 4, 1921 Chance Nov. 3, 1925 Loftus Oct. 18, 1927Lockett Jan. 8, 1929 Bigler Sept. 22, 1931 Lockett May 8, 1934 HardingeJuly 14, 1936 Moyer Oct. 12, 1948 Hilkemeier Jan. 5, 1960 FOREIGNPATENTS Denmark July 22, 1913 Switzerland Jan. 20, 1913 Germany Aug.27,1892. Great Britain Dec. 10, 1931 Germany Oct. 10, 1940

